BLUE MOON 20TH ANNIVERSARY

A Once in a Blue Moon Celebration

2015 marks the 20th anniversary of Blue Moon Brewing Company, and the brand called long-time partner Trinity Brand Group to help leverage this significant milestone. Trinity recognized the potential to stretch the brand, leverage its Artfully Crafted positioning in a new way, and create anticipation with consumers new and old – not an easy task in a fiercely growing segment. We conceived the “Rising Moon Artist Series” wherein 20 up-and-coming artists from 20 US cities would develop unique pieces of art for 20 Belgian White labels. We also worked with the brand’s agency partners to activate the vision beyond packaging, fueling a desire within craft beer lovers to collect limited edition bottles and sending tens of thousands of fans to a Facebook voting poll before bottles even hit the shelves.

INSIGHTS

A Story To Tell

Research has shown that brands with a compelling and authentic story to tell give bartenders a reason to recommend and consumers something they can relate to and talk about. Blue Moon is a well-known brand, but its stories are not. We felt that the brand’s long-standing Artfully Crafted positioning held the credibility and potential to inspire exciting stories – especially once control was put in the hands of the artists creating the authentic works of art.

STRATEGY

A Unique Gallery of Beer

Blue Moon has always celebrated the idea that brewing is an art. The 20th anniversary strategy was a fresh and relevant expansion of this idea. We asked rising artists to use the label as their canvas with the freedom to tell their own Blue Moon-inspired story. Artists were strategically selected from 20 Blue Moon markets around the US based on their label concept, artist statement and unique story. We curated a collection of labels to purposefully showcase a diverse array of personalities, artistic styles and themes, representing the diverse, creative expression of the beer itself and its broad mix of fans.

CREATIVE

The Art of Brewing and Labeling

Our team collaborated with agents, local art resources, art historians and legal counsel to discover and vet rising artists in key markets. Culled from an initial list of 500, 20 unique artists were selected to create a unique work of art for a limited edition bottle. We created a brief that gave the artists free rein to express a story in their medium of choice. The only requirement: a blue-colored moon. The move solidified and expanded the brand’s Artfully Crafted position and pegged it as a brand to watch in craft beer. All participating artists were compensated and were able to gain valuable local and national exposure through social media, press and local market programming. The top 10 artists who receive the most votes on Facebook will enter the finals for a chance to win a $20,000 grant determined by a national panel of qualified jurors.